Beverage makers are typically designed to work with a single specified module. For example, loose coffee brewing systems generally have a brew basket that can receive a filter for loose espresso or coffee grounds or pre-packaged grounds. A typical espresso maker generally has a small basket with holes at the base thereof into which the espresso powder or grounds are placed. Newer style beverage makers have interior components that are designed to work with specially-designed and shaped capsules, such as Keurig or Nespresso machines.
These machines have internal features that are specifically shaped to hold the particular brand or style of capsule, pod, or loose grounds in order to force water therethough and to create the desired espresso or other coffee drink. For example, a certain brand X machine may be designed for use only with brand X capsules or cups. This can limit the end user or consumer to purchasing only the coffee pods, capsules, or cups that work with the particular purchased machine. For example, if an airline wishes to offer coffee drinks, such as coffee, espresso, or cappuccino on-board its aircraft, the airline typically selects the coffee form it desires (e.g., a particular brand of pods or capsules or easy serving espresso pods), and then installs the appropriate machines on its fleet.
However, brewing beverages on an aircraft or other passenger transport vehicles can present challenges to these single module systems. For example, the beverage makers are typically mounted into the aircraft galley for safety reasons, so if the aircraft desires to change providers of the type of brewed beverage it serves, it can require a potentially expensive re-work of the galley. If beverage makers are purchased in bulk to be installed on a fleet of aircraft, being limited to one form of coffee capsule or pod can be disadvantageous in a number of instances. For example, an aircraft may not wish to be locked into only one supplier for the life of the aircraft fleet that has been fitted with a particular machine brand. A supplier may raise costs to a prohibitive level, may discontinue particular flavors, may change the shape or form of their product packaging, or may not offer options that are green or recyclable, conflicting with a company's desire or mission to be environmentally friendly. There are a number of other reasons why a particular airline may desire interchangeability and flexibility in the types of coffee and/or espresso it serves.